1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to suture retainers, and more particularly to a retainer for surgical sutures with one or more needles attached thereto.
2. Background of the Art
Typical suture retainers are packages which include folded paper structure for retaining one or more sutures. The suture, can be "armed," i.e. attached to a surgical needle, or it can be "unarmed," i.e., supplied in pre-cut lengths. "Double armed" sutures are those with both ends attached to respective needles. The retainer can be sterilized and disposed in one or more hermetically sealed envelopes to maintain sterility. To use the suture, the envelopes are removed and the retainer is partially or wholly opened or otherwise manipulated to provide access to the suture and/or needle(s). The needle or suture end portion can be individually grasped with forceps and pulled from the retainer, resulting in withdrawal of the trailing suture strand.
Suture retainers are intended to protect sutures from mechanical, microbial, and chemical degradation during shipping, handling, and storage, while allowing the sutures to be removed. The suture retainer should possess good storing qualities, provide safety in handling, and permit ready access to, and removal of, the stored sutures. Removal needs to be smooth and provide a suture free of tangles and kinks.
Various types of suture retainers are known and disclosed in the art. For example, commonly assigned U.S. Pat. No. 5,121,836, herein incorporated by reference, discloses a multipanel suture retainer for an armed surgical suture. The suture retainer has a needle retaining panel, a front cover panel, a suture winding panel, and a fold over panel. Apertures for loading pins facilitate the loading of the suture in a "FIG. 8", or lemniscate type pattern. The lemniscate pattern includes a central crossover point where the suture strand crosses over itself. While this package and suture pattern has been used successfully for years, it is desirable to eliminate suture crossover points to reduce potential wear during shipment and storage.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,627,120 discloses a suture package that retains a suture coil in an oval configuration. The package has a pair of opposed, arc-shaped tabs cut in a panel. The tabs extend longitudinally and are adapted to flexibly engage and overlie the longitudinal strands of the suture coil. To remove the suture, the package is opened and the suture withdrawn.